The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-06-04
USING B00DLER'S DOODLE
ATTEMPTS MADETO TAMPER WITH
THE SHARP JURORS.

the jury.
New YORK, June 3.--When the Court of
Oyer and Terminer opened this morning for
the trial of Jake Sharp there were only
elven jurors in the box District Attorney
MARITIME to-day corroborated the statements
that attempts had been made by somebody
to fix the jurors IN this case, and that was
the reason for eXcusing McLewee and Cald-
well. He also corroborated the report of the
attempt to corrupt Mr., Rupfel, of Harlem,
drawn in the first panel. To reporter Mr..
Peter Mitchell, of the counsel for the de
fense, said: "When / make this statement
you may depend that have proof of what
| say, and you can bet money upon il.
The emissiaries or the District Attor-
ney have been at work in these
cases, so as to give the impression that the
defendants have been attempting to fix the
jurymen, that they might lock them up.
They succeeded in the case of Alderman
O'Neili, but we don't propose that they shall
In Mr.. Sharp's case. 1t is absurd to suppose
that MIR. Sharp or any one in his employ
should approach Mr.. Rupfel, as the District
Attorney claims they did, or as was claimed
in the O'Neill case. 1t is only an attempt to
prejudice Mr.. Sharp's case" The Clerk of
the Court, after the proceedings were opened,
announced that the witnesses present, on the
part of the people, were excused until Mon
day morning. which definitely determines
that the actual trial of the case will not be
gin before that time, even though jury be
obtained before.
TILT BETWEEN COUNSEL
After a number of jurors had been ex-
cused, Mr.. Parsons, of counsel for the
defense, who had been writing, read his
production as follows: 1.-THE attention of
the counsel for Mr.. Sharp has been called
to report which appeared in the paper
last evening, imputing to some one. a wish
and effort to affect the jurors. We have
seen in the morning papers a statement
relating to the same subject, some of which
mentioned the names of jurors, who, so far
as we know, are of a position and character
to preclude the possibility that anything of
the kind relating to them could have
occurred We were grateful to
the Court for its instruction to
the jurors mn Friday last, that
if they supposed that any such ap-
proach would be made it would be at once
brought to the attention of the court We
hope that before the adjournment until
Monday some direction will be given All
such implications are injurious to the jurors.
1t is injurious to Mr.. Sharp's counsel. Ii
assumes that they would countenance such
proceeding, but it is most injurious to Mr..
Sharp. 1t tends to deprive him of that fair
trial which is his right. 1t is an attack
which, however i'll founded, works its mis-
chief, and an investigation is, of course,
| impossible 1t is, perhaps, not suitable for
us to make any statements about our
belief of the gloundless character of
any charge which iInputes to Mr. Sharp or
to his counsel any such procedure It's folly
would be as great as the wrong We have
come here to try his case according to the
il1a6 lnu Low AM i,,4a
ence by outside statements is a contempt of
court We do not object to the utmost pub
licity of the proceedings in court. We can
not prevent the prejudicing of the case by
the papers, but specific statements by as
sumed facts go beyond the privilege of the
press" Mr. MARITIME said that, as public
prosecutor he must make some response.
The counsel had read to the court his views.
The difficulty is that the statements are
founded on fact. 'In the case of one
juror who had conferred with me | am,
sir, personally aware of the fact, that be has
been approached. ! have not yet decided
to lay the matter before the court and pro-
ceed upon the information which [ have
received In my official capacity"
Mr.. Parsons replied that he and his co.
counsel had definite instructions from their
client to ask for specific charges that they
may be met in open court. "These charges
should come i'll a succinct form. Mr.. Sharp's
case is difficult one in any event, and it
should not be prejudiced by such statements
of assumed facts. They should be put in
the form of affidavits SO that we can meet
themn
Mr.. MARITIME arose and said that while he
had not intended to put the matter OH
record he proposed TO do SO now.
Mr.. Parsons objected, but the District
Attorney continued:
HOT SHOT FROM MR. MARITIME
"These matters are not new to the court.
| have told the counsel for the defense in
nearly every instance. The first case was
that of George Ruppel who informed me
that he had been approached and told that
it would be for his interest TO stand out for
Sharp. Later. a stranger came to me and
informed me that Smith, who occupied the
third seat in the box, had been approached.
This stranger said his name was Raymond,
boat builder at Green Point.
He said that man named
Lynch, an enpIoye of the
Christopher street railway, came 10 him
and said: you know Smith; he lives over
your way. See him and get him to stand
out for the old man Raymond said that
he would not see Smith, and that he was not
that kind Of a man to be approached. This
Mr.. Lynch is a great friend of Mr. Sharp's
The sequel is, Smith was challenged by the
prosecution next day. The next case was
that OF the juror Sutton, who occupied
seat No. 9 for several days He was chal-
lenged by the defense, and afterwards CON
sidered it his duty to inform me why. The
day before he was challenged he said
that be was approached by a man
whose name he would not mention,
who asked him whether he was for the de-
fense OF the people. He was told that it
would he for his interest 10 stand out for
Sharp. He told the man not TO talk with
LII. -. HI.tas L.